“House Passes Dodd-Frank Amendments”
The House Ag Committee has passes a half dozen bills that would amend Title VII of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. House Ag Committee Chairman Frank Lucas says some of the current regulations are – completely contrary to the intent of the original Dodd-Frank legislation. He says – some of these regulations could make using derivatives so expensive that businesses will be forced to stop using them to hedge against risk.
Ranking Member Collin Peterson is calling for – patience with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. He said – the CFTC is going to get this right. To date, most of the final rules coming out of the Commission have bipartisan support and are addressing the concerns that stakeholders have expressed to both us and the Commission.
Peterson believes that even if we do find that any of these bills are necessary, they have no future. The majority of Senate Republicans and their leadership have dedicated themselves to the repeal of Dodd-Frank.
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“Grassley Wants Discussion with FCC Official”
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley wants members of his staff to meet with Paul de Sa, a top Federal Communications Commission staff member who is describes as the “father” of the LightSquared project. DeSa leaves his position as the FCC’s legislative affairs director next month. Grassley’s first request for a meeting was met with a “not available” statement. An FCC official says Grassley is on a “witch hunt”. Grassley calls it “due diligence”.
Senator Grassley says FCC chairman Julius Genachowski should make this staff member available. Earlier the chairman said he would – make agency staff available to discuss the LightSquared wireless project. Grassley says – if this top FCC official has time to meet with the hedge fund owner behind LightSquared, he should have time for a meeting with Senate staff trying to shed some light on a controversy created at the FCC.
Since last April, Grassley has been reviewing why the agency rushed approval of the LightSquared project without adequately exploring what turned out to be widespread concerns of interference with the Global Positioning System devices widely used by the military, first responders, aviation, precision agriculture, and consumer navigation.
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“Branding of Cattle On The Line”
Branding cattle has long been a tradition in cattle country. Those brands make it easy for ranch hands to separate their animals from the neighbors, when the herds mix. But, after experiencing “the cow that stole Christmas” back in 2003 the government wants each animal to have a tag on its ear. This means each ranch hand would have to dismount and read each animal’s tag before determining its ownership. In relationship, reading a brand is as easy as reading a billboard.
The new rule would require tagging — either with radio frequency devices or lower-cost metal “brite” tags — of cattle moved across state lines. Each tag would carry a unique numeric code. Stored in a database, the codes would allow animal health authorities to determine rapidly where an animal came from in the event of a disease outbreak.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has given qualified support to the proposal but said it would also like some parts clarified, and the inclusion of branding as an official identification method. Federal officials have long argued that a national identification system is necessary to quickly trace outbreaks of diseases like bovine brucellosis, tuberculosis and mad cow. It was mad cow, or BSE, that was identified in a Washington state dairy cow in 2003 right before Christmas.
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“Administration’s Energy Program Has Direction”
During his State of the Union Address, President Obama pledged a doubling-down on clean energy in the United States. The centerpiece of the Administration’s strategy is a Clean Energy Standard, – a flexible approach that harnesses American ingenuity and innovation, and channels it toward a clean energy future. Obama believes that by creating a market here at home for innovative clean energy technologies, we will unleash the ingenuity of our entrepreneurs and ensure that America leads the world in clean energy.
The President supports renewing and extending a number of proven and successful provisions that are crucial to the continued growth of the domestic clean energy sector. This includes tax incentives for clean energy manufacturing, which could create up to 100-thousand jobs, and the Production Tax Credit to support investment in the deployment of clean energy technologies like wind and solar.
The administration will also open public lands for private investments in clean energy: The Department of the Interior is committed to issuing permits for 10 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity – enough to power 3 million homes – from new projects on our public lands by the end of 2012.
Already, the Department of Navy has committed to adding 1 gigawatt of renewable energy produced from sources like solar, wind, and geothermal to its energy portfolio for shore-side installations – enough to power 250-thousand homes. The Navy will ensure these energy projects are cost neutral and require no up-front investments by the government.
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“New Biorefinery Receives Federal Funds”
A developer of biorefineries for the conversion of renewable biomass into sustainable fuels and chemicals has announced it has been selected for a 232.5-million dollar loan guarantee from USDA’s Biorefinery Assistance Program. ZeaChem president and chief executive officer Jim Imbler called the award – a significant validation for ZeaChem’s highly efficient, economical and flexible biorefinery technology.
Located in the northeast part of the state, the Zeachem Boardman Biorefinery will use high-yield cellulosic fermentation technology to produce advanced biofuels. An existing cellulosic integrated demonstration plant at the site is currently generating operational data that will provide information needed for the commercial scale project. An estimated 51 percent or more of the biorefinery’s output will be advanced biofuel, and the remainder will be high-value biobased chemicals, such as acetic acid and ethyl acetate.
The feedstock will consist of approximately 30 percent agricultural residue, such as wheat straw and corn stover, and 70 percent woody biomass from a local hybrid poplar farm. At full capacity, the plant will produce 25-million gallons of sustainable fuel per year.
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“Corn Stover Has a Future”
DuPont plans to build one of the world’s first commercial cellulosic ethanol biorefineries in Nevada, Iowa. The plant would require thousands of tons of corn stover from Iowa fields. Steve Mirshak, business director for DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol program, says – .
we’re currently working with an exclusive group of growers in a pilot program to collect stover in support of the biorefinery. When completed, the plant will be fueled almost exclusively by corn
Andy Heggenstaller, Pioneer agronomy research manager from Iowa, says – as we move forward, cellulosic ethanol production may become a common form of residue management. Experts are keeping in mind long-term impacts. According to Heggenstaller, – university research suggests that at a high yield level, 200 bushels per acre or more, growers can remove 40 percent of stover without negatively impacting soil organic matter.
It is hoped the cellulosic ethanol industry will provide opportunities for growers to help manage residue and provide additional value to their croplands. DuPont businesses Pioneer Hi-Bred and DuPont Industrial Biosciences are collaborating with Iowa State University, performing studies on residue to establish best practices in harvesting, storage and transportation, as well as to assure the agronomic and environmental integrity of cornfields.
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“MiPlato Now Official Symbol”
Supported by Goya Foods, the largest, Hispanic-owned U.S. food company, MiPlato, a new food group symbol, has been added to First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Initiative. The MiPlato symbol is a reminder to families about making healthy meal choices with easy “how-tos” about proper portions. In Tampa, Florida, Thursday Mrs. Obama joined Bob Unanue, President of Goya Foods, and leading Latino organizations to promote their nationwide effort to encourage health and wellness in communities across the country.
Goya Foods is rolling out numerous steps to help communities enjoy healthy, tasty and affordable meals including creating brochures, posters, coupons and cookbooks for consumers; developing educational tools for 4th through 6th grade students across the country; and imprinting the MiPlato icon on some of their products.
Mrs. Obama says this announcement is – what Let’s Move! is really all about – folks from every sector of our society stepping up and coming together on behalf of our kids. One of the pillars of Let’s Move! is empowering parents with the information they need to make healthy choices. MiPlato is a tool to help support families in that effort.
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“New School Food Standards Have Supporters”
When the new standards for school meals kick in next school year 32-million kids will benefit from the healthy meal requirements. Those requirements will raise standards for the first time in more than fifteen years and improve the health and nutrition of those students that participate in school meal programs every school day. Linda Davis-Alldritt, President, National Association of School Nurses, says – school nurses worked hard for the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act because they have a critical role in teaching about and encouraging healthy food choices.
Jessica Donze Black RD, MPH, Director of the Kid’s Safe and Healthful Foods Project Pew Charitable Trusts says – the focus on improving school meals comes at a critical time for children’s health as young people increasingly suffer from diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
And Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association, points out that – learning to make nutritious food choices at an early age is an important lesson for America’s children. We strongly believe these new standards for school meals will help the nation’s youth develop healthy food habits that will help lower obesity rates and ensure that the next generation can lead lives free of heart disease and stroke.
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“School Meal Requirements Miss Target”
Not all are happy with the new school meal requirements. Meat and potato industry groups are claiming the guidelines add more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to the school menus at a cost. They say by limiting potatoes at breakfast and dropping a requirement that meat be served at the morning meal the goal of delivering a balanced diet is missed.
Jeremy Russell, spokesman for the National Meat Association, which represents packers, processors and others in the industry, says – protein is very important for the health of growing children, and meat is a high quality source of protein.
Kristina Butts, director of legislative affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says – the variety of beef options available allows schools to incorporate lean beef into their menu plans on any budget.
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“Former Miss America Talks About Agriculture”
2011 Miss America Teresa Scanlan is continuing to speak out on behalf of agriculture. While wearing her crown, Scanlan established partnerships with several agriculture organizations, including The Hand That Feeds U.S., U.S. Cattlemen’s Association and Real Farmers, Real Food programs. She has noticed – a massive disconnect geographically. Today, Scanlan has set out to bridge the gap between urban and rural America.
In an article written for FoxNews, Scanlan pointed out the importance of agriculture producers. She wrote: “Can we feed a growing world population, fuel our economy, and still offer wholesome food choices to Americans? Sure, just as long as we avoid weakening the very infrastructure that makes it all possible.
Scanlon, the former Miss America, who turns 19 next month, says she will continue to tell the story of agriculture. In the next few months she will be speaking at a variety of conventions and conferences, including the Kansas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher Conference in Wichita, Kansas, on January 29.
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